Up in the Air
by UCLAisinLosAngelesxo
Summary: When Sonny flies to Wisconsin, she meets an oddly familiar couple. What will she learn along the way about herself, and more importantly, Chad Dylan Cooper? CHANNY!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! How are you? I'm currently being bored so I thought I'd write : P. This is a SWAC fic, which I've been a fan of since it came out, but I never wrote anything for till now. Enjoy!**

Sonny Munroe smiled at her mother for one final time as she prepared to board the plane. The Californian day was warm and beautiful, but the young actress couldn't wait to leave.

"Seriously, mom. I will be _fine_." She stated for the fifth time with a laugh. Connie frowned in response, a disapproving sparkle in her eyes.

"I know, honey, but I worry. Going all the way to Wisconsin without me for an entire week? I'm still not sure about this…" She trailed off, placing her hand against her chin in thought.

Sonny's eyes widened, fear crossing her features.

"Mom! You already promised! Lucy already has a bed made up for me and _everything_!" She was begging, but she knew it was the only way. Surely her mother wouldn't tell her she couldn't go at the _airport?_

Connie gave her daughter a hard look, before softening slightly and letting a faint smile cross her lips. She leaned forward, wrapping the brunette in a tight hug. A minute passed before she let go and stepped back.

"Go. Have an amazing time. Just call as soon as the plane lands, _and_ every night to check in." The woman sternly commanded. Sonny barely heard her, however. The only thing passing through her hears was that she could still go. She beamed, squealing, before grabbing her bags and walking backwards to the terminal.

"I love you, mom! I'll call as soon as I land! See you Saturday!"

With a final wave, she turned and hurried towards the plane. Twenty minutes later, the teen was comfortably seated and waiting for takeoff. She was so excited she could barely stop herself from jumping up and down in her chair. She opted instead to blast music through her headphones and bob to it quietly, releasing some of the built-up energy she felt.

"Excited?" A deep voice asked from her left. Sonny lowered the volume on her iPod, before turning to the man who had posed the question.

"You have no idea, I'm visiting my best friend and my old home town and oh my gosh! I can't wait!" She giggled, before realizing she hadn't actually introduced herself.

"I'm Sonny, by the way." Sonny said politely, fully looking at him for the first time.

She had to hold back a gasp. The man seated next to her appeared to be in his mid-forties. He had light brown, almost blonde hair, and was exceedingly handsome. These weren't the traits that startled her, however.

His eyes were a shade of blue she had only seen on one person before. One conceited jerk throb that she was hopelessly (though she'd never admit it) in love with, and had wanted to forget for this week.

Sighing, she averted her gaze and glanced at the seat in front of her.

"Hah, I see girls still get lost in my eyes." The man said, a cocky tone coloring his words. Sonny looked at him, startled, before noting the smirk on his face. She raised her eyebrows, disbelief etched on her features.

She was about to respond, but another voice beat her to it.

"Charles, could you possibly go five minutes without feeding your own already inflated ego?" A woman Sonny had been too distracted to notice previously leaned forward, rolling her eyes. "So sorry about him. He has a very high impression of himself." Her words were scolding, but Sonny noted the teasing tone and the warm smile she flashed in the man's direction.

The young girl bit her lip, glancing between the two of them. Something seemed familiar about the woman's beautiful blonde hair and grey eyes.

"Oh! How rude of me!" The woman fussed, grinning at Sonny. "I'm Jennifer. Jennifer Cooper."

"And I'm Charles Michael Cooper, better known as CMC." Her husband added, but the friendly wink he threw in Sonny's direction let her know he was joking, and she instantly liked the two of them.

"Jennifer and Charles Cooper… Wait, COOPER?" The last name had finally registered in her mind, and her thoughts were filled with images of a blonde back home.

" Yes… Our last name is Cooper… Is there a problem?" The woman had a confused look on her face, and she tilted her head to the side. Charles frowned and gave her a concerned glance.

"Yes! Well, no. Well… Maybe?" Sonny rambled for a moment, before taking in a breath. The looks… the cocky attitude… the 'CMC' abbreviation… It was all starting to fit together. "Do you have a son?" She asked, wanting clarification.

"Oh dear, you figured us out. I _knew_ I shouldn't have mentioned my last name… But you seemed so nice and honest… Please, if you don't freak out we'll have Chad send you an autographed picture or something…" She frowned, not wanting to have the young girl cause a scene. Couldn't their family get _any_ privacy?

Sonny, however, merely snorted in reply. "Please, I already have one of those," she said, rolling her eyes at the memory, "I really don't need _any_ gifts from that drama queen." She made a face, before realizing whom she was talking to. These were Chad's _parents_ for gosh sakes! She couldn't trash talk him in front of them!

"What I mean is… I know Chad. He and I have a… _special_ relationship one could say. We fight a lot. Well, more than a lot. Basically on a day-to-day basis." She tried explaining, hoping they would forget her previous slip of rudeness.

They both stared blankly at her, before beginning to laugh.

"Good one!" Charles chortled. "Got to say, that's a first. Most of Chad's fan girls pretend they're dating… never heard one say they hated each other."

Jennifer gave Sonny a comforting smile, before explaining. "I'm sorry honey, but we've just dealt with too many phonies to fall for anyone any more. Now, who should I have Chad send that picture to again?"

Sonny frowned, leaning back into her seat. She knew they hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. They probably came across teenage girls claiming to know Chad all the time. She let out a sigh, before replying, "Sonny. Sonny Munroe."

"Sonny Mu-. I'm sorry, did you just say Sonny Munroe?" Jennifer had previously been writing her name down, but now she stopped, giving Sonny a startled glance.

"Well, well, well! What a small world!" Charles stated with a grin not unlike a certain one Sonny had become accustomed to while working at So Random! "So you're Sonny."

The couple had matching smiles, and both were giving her a look that slightly confused the brunette.

"Um… Yes…?" She replied unsurely.

"We've heard a lot about you, Sonny. Chad comes home most nights all in a huff because a certain _stupidly cute_ Sonny Munroe has been giving him grief." The woman stated, a motherly look crossing her features.

"Well, um, I'm… sorry?" Sonny was still confused, Chad talked about her to his parents? And what was this about stupid cute?

"Oh, no, don't be!" Charles replied with a booming laugh. "It's such a relief to see someone stand up to him! I think it's messed with his mind a bit… He's not used to that kind of treatment."

"I don't think I've ever heard him talk about anyone besides himself as much as he talks about you." Jennifer added, grinning. "Granted, it's usually complaining… But still. You clearly have made quite an impression on him." She finished with a tender glance at the teen.

Sonny blushed, stopping the small smile that was forming on her lips before it grew noticeable.

"Well… He may get under my skin sometimes, but he's made an impression on me, too." She smiled shyly at the older couple, hoping she hadn't given too much away.

They both beamed at her, before sharing a knowing glance. Charles leaned towards his wife, whispering into her ear, "I remember when we were that age…" The looks of love and devotion shining in their eyes made Sonny avert her gaze, feeling she was intruding on a private moment.

An hour passed, and the sun began to set. Sonny distracted herself by watching the beautiful colors crossing the sky. Another hour had gone by before Charles excused himself to the bathroom. Most of the passengers on the plane were asleep or quietly reading, immersed in their own books.

The actress turned to Jennifer, who had been watching her with an undecipherable look. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Sonny with her eyes. Finally, she seemed satisfied, and smiled lightly at her.

"You care about Chad." The statement was quiet, but confident. Sonny blinked in response, not knowing how to respond. The familiarity of Chad's mother's face comforted Sonny, however, and she felt safe admitting her feelings.

"Yes, I do." She replied. "A lot." The thought of him brought the ghost of a smile to her lips, and she felt herself missing him.

"You may even have feelings for him." Again, it was a statement.

Sonny nodded, knowing she couldn't lie to the woman who had cared for Chad his whole life.

"Strong feelings?" This time the woman seemed genuinely curious, trying to gauge Sonny's reaction.

As the girl sat thinking about the boy who made her life such a beautiful mess, she couldn't see straight. She missed him more than she had realized until this point, and the thought of even one week without hearing his voice made her feel sick.

She met Jennifer's gaze, before replying what she knew had always been true.

"I love him."

The blonde's eyes widened, but she otherwise seemed unphased.

"I know."

She smiled, and Sonny felt comforted. "Please, don't tell Chad though. He would make fun of me for the rest of my life." The normally bubbly girl frowned, looking at her hands.

"I wouldn't count on that." She replied evenly, before reaching up to turn the light off and closing her eyes. Charles returned a few minutes later, gingerly taking his seat. Flashing a quick grin in Sonny's direction, he followed his wife's example, leaving Sonny lost in thought.

Two hours later, the pilot rudely awakened the plane. "Ladies and Gentleman, we are now landing in Wisconsin. Please prepare for landing."

"Well, so much for beauty sleep. Not that I need it, but CMC is not pleased." Charles complained. Both the women with him rolled their eyes together, causing the trio to burst into laughter.

Thirty minutes later, they stood in the airport, bags in hand.

"We have to catch a connecting flight to Boston, so I guess this is goodbye for now." Jennifer stated sadly. She wrapped Sonny in a hug, before allowing Charles to do the same.

"It was a pleasure mee-" The woman was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. "Oh, it's Chad! He worries when we travel. He likes to check in when we're on the ground." She said, before answering.

"Hi Chaddy! We're fine, just landed in Wisconsin...Yes, Wisconsin… You knew we had a connecting flight through here, right? Oh, I forgot to mention that… We did meet a charming young woman though!" Sonny blushed, and made a face at the name "Chaddy".

"She's right here with us! Would you like to say hi? Oh, she's no ordinary fan… do it for me, honey?" Jennifer smiled and handed a startled Sonny the phone, whispering into her ear, "Five minutes, we're going to grab some food."

Sonny smiled gratefully as they walked away before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Chaddy? Really?" She questioned, amused.

"I'll have you know, my mommy is… Sonny?" His voice filled the phone, growing confused at the end.

"Hey, Chad." She replied quietly.

"You're… you're with my parents?" He asked, still confused.

"We met on the plane and hit it off. Who knew you could come from such lovely people?" She teased.

"Who knew you could interact with people who on such a higher level than you?" He shot back. Though she knew it was silly, she felt a bit hurt and didn't respond for a few moments.

"Sonny? I'm didn't mean it like that… I was just joking… Haha, see?" The girl smiled, and checked the time on her watch. Lucy was due at the airport in a few minutes, and Chad's parents no doubt would be back soon.

"It's ok, Chad. Stick to drama though… Hey, listen I've got to go. Your parents have to catch a plane and I've gotta find Lucy." She didn't want to hang up, but she knew she had to.

"Ok, and Sonny?" Chad's voice had grown soft once more, and his tone had become tender. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Chad." Sonny felt butterflies fill her stomach, and shook her head to focus.

"If you, you know… Get bored or something, which is bound to happen while you're in the middle of nowhere,"

"Wisconsin, Chaddy."

"Touché. Anyways… you could always call." There was a short pause, and Sonny didn't reply, momentarily shocked.

"You know, so I can let you know how much better Mackenzie Falls is doing for ratings… I doubt you have television in the boonies and-"

"I think I just might do that." Sonny replied, surprising herself.

"Oh, well… fine." Shock colored his tone, but she could hear the slight smile.

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

"So we're good?"

"We are _so _good." Sonny finished their argument by snapping the phone closed.

She turned to the Coopers, who had returned, and bid them farewell. Charles wrapped his arm around Jennifer's waist, and flashed one more smirk in her direction.

"We'll see you soon, Sonny." He said with a wink, before leading his wife away. The implication caused color to fill her cheeks, and she turned to exit the gate, a grin etched across her face.

And somewhere, halfway across the country, an identical grin covered the face of a blonde boy with blue eyes.

**Hope you enjoyed! It got kind of crappy at the end, cuz I got tired and lazy… Haha sorry bout that. Review!**


	2. Note Important

**ACK this story has gotten such an overwhelming response! I am so happy you guys like it : ) **

**Should I make it a two-shot? **

**CDC = YES CONTINUE!**

**CMC = It was a'ight. Not worth continuing.**

**Thanks guys, really. It makes me feel really good when I get happy reviews 3**


	3. New Name

Hey guys! I've changed my pen name to** UCLAisinLosAngelesxo** in light of my recent love for St. Berry in Glee.

Hope this causes no problems, and make sure to check out and spread the word to those who might be interested about my new challenge!

Much love,

UCLAisinLosAngelesxo


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